Undergarment provided with elastic-fixing means of adjustable length

ABSTRACT

A panty comprising elastic-fixing means of adjustable length provided with retaining means ensuring frictional adherence and further provided with internal additional elastic means, located in the proximity of said adjustable elastic-fixing means, for imparting increased suppleness to said panty.

United States Patent I 72] Inventor Joseph Pepo Saitiel Saint-Quentin, France [21] App]. No. 836,401 [22] Filed June 25, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 24, 1971 [73] Assignee Wimbledon Organization Ltd.

Luxembourg, Grand Duchedu Luxembourg 54] UNDERGARMENT PROVIDED WITH ELASTIC- FIXING MEANS OF ADJUSTABLE LENGTH 1 Claim, 1 Drawing Fig.

[52] US. Cl. 128/535, 2/224, 24/200, 128/540 [51] Int. Cl A410 1/04 [50] FieldofSearch 128/119, 135, 540, 525, 5135;2/240, 338; 24/200 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,507,408 9/1924 Woods 128/525 nnu Primary Examiner-- Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-J. H. Wolff Attorney-Kenyon & Kenyon Reilly Carr & Chapin ABSTRACT: A panty comprising elastic-fixing means of adjustable length provided with retaining means ensuring frictional adherence and further provided with internal additional elastic means, located in the proximity of said adjustable elastic-fixing means, for imparting increased suppleness to said panty.

UNDERGARMENT PROVIDED WITH ELASTIC-FIXING MEANS OF ADJUSTABLE LENGTH The present invention has essentially for its object an undergarment such as panties, knickers, bloomers, shorts, a slip, a girdle or like undergarment.

Panties are already known comprising elastic-fixing means of adjustable length provided with retaining means ensuring frictional adherence, the said fixing means being provided at the lower end of each leg of the panties or the like and eventually at the belt.

The adjustability of the effective length of the said elasticfixing means enables the wearer to fit same to her size and therefore to select at will the degree of tightening.

The panties or like undergarment according to the present invention is remarkable notably in that it is provided internally, in proximity to the portions carrying the said adjustable elastic-fixing means, additional elastic means imparting increased suppleness to the said portions of the panties or the like.

The increased suppleness of the legs of the panties or like undergarment and eventually of the belt thereof in immediate proximity to the adjustable elastic means ensures a better adherence to the thigh and eventually to the body and, therefore, enables to reduce the degree of tightening of the said adjustable fixing means. This results in reduced compression of the thighs and the body, and therefore in considerably increased comfort while enabling the panties to be retained quite as satisfactorily. Moreover, when the panties are worn with stockings and the legs of the panties overlap the top of the stockings, the additional elastic means provided on the internal face of the legs enable the stocking to be retained efficiently.

According to another characteristic feature of the invention the said additional elastic means are constituted by elastic warp threads which are knitted or woven or both knitted or woven at the same time as the panties or the like, the said warp threads being arranged circularly and forming a band of a width substantially equivalent to the width of a conventional revers or turnover.

According to still another characteristic feature of the invention, the said elastic warp threads consist of natural rubber or synthetic elastomer threads.

The invention will be better understood and further objects, characteristics, details and advantages thereof will appear as the following explanatory description proceeds with reference to the-accompanying diagrammatic drawing given by way of example only, illustrating one embodiment of the invention.

The panties illustrated in the drawing are provided at the lower end of each of the legs 2 with elastically deformable tapes or strips 3 provided on their internal faces with rows of bare rubber warps 4 ensuring frictional adherence to the skin. The tapes or the like 3 are provide on their external faces with a plurality of transverse pockets 5 which may be open at both ends and in which the fingers 6a and 6b of a fastening member 6 engage. Each tape 3 is substantially longer than the perimeter of the leg to which it is associated and is fixed by a portion of its upper edge to a portion of the lower edge of the leg.

The portions of the legs 2 which are located in immediate proximity to the tapes 3 are internally provided with exposed elastic warp threads 7 consisting for example of bare rubber warp threads. The elastic warp threads 7 are knitted and/or woven at the same time as the textile threads forming the panties or the like and are disposed circularly. The threads 7 form at the lower portion of the legs 2 a substantially circular band 8 the width of which is preferably substantially equivalent to the width of a conventional revers or turnover,

The panties are also provided at their upper portion, that is at the belt 10, with an elastically deformable band 11 provided on its internal face with rows of bare rubber warps l2 and, on its external face, with transverse pockets 13 wherein the fingers 14a and 14b of a fastening member 14 engage. The portion of the panties located in proximity to the band 11 is provided with exposed elastic warp threads 15 similar to the warp threads 7 provided at the lower portion of each leg.

Alike the bands 3, the band 11 is substantially longer than a the perimeter of the belt of the panties and is fixed by a portion of its lower edge to a portion of the upper edge of the belt.

Instead of being constituted by bare rubber warp threads as illustrated in the drawing, the elastic threads 7 and 15 may consist of covered rubber warp threads or of bare or covered synthetic elastomer warp threads.

The said additional elastic means may also consist, instead of threads, by a layer of latex or the like applied directly on the fabric of the panties.

The additional suppleness imparted to the fabric by the said elastic warp'threads enable the panties to be retained more efficiently on the wearers body, so that the wearer, when adjusting the effective length of the bands 3, 1 1, can select a degree of tightening less than in the case of panties provided with only the adjustable elastic bands, and this results in reduced compression at the leg and eventually at the belt and, consequently, the wearing of the panties is more agreeable.

Although the improvement according to the invention has been described hereabove with reference to panties provided with elastic fixing means of adjustable length constituted by tapes or bands provided with pockets which are open at both ends, it is obvious that the improvement similarly applies to panties the adjustable elastic bands of which are provided with pockets which are open at only their upper end, the said pockets communicating with a tunnel, straps or the like, or buttonholes.

It is to be understood that the invention should not at all be construed as being limited to the form of embodiment shown and described, as the latter has been given by way of example only. In particular, the invention comprises all the means constituting technical equivalents to the means described as well as their combinations, should they be carried out according to the spirit, principles and teachings of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An undergarment comprising an upper portion having an inner face and an upper edge, two leg-forming portions, each having an inner face and a lower edge, lower flexible fixing means provided at each one of said lower edges, said fixing means comprising an elastic tape having an inner face, an outer face and an upper edge, said elastic tape having a length substantially greater than the length of said lower edge and having a substantial portion of its upper edge secured to a substantial portion of said lower edge, and provide for an unattached end portion, antislipping means fastened to the inner face of said tape, a number of separate transverse pockets spaced along and fastened on said outer face of said elastic tape, each pocket having at least one open end, a fastening member provided with fingers, one finger engages an outermost pocket on said unattached end portion and a second finger adapted to engage a selected one of said pockets on the secured opposite end of said elastic tape, thereby providing for adjustable tensioning of said elastic tape, bare rubber warp 1 threads fastened on the inner face of said leg-forming portions adjacent said lower edges and arranged in a series of rows forming a substantially circular lower band located in the proximity said lower flexible fixing means whereby an increased suppleness is imparted to said leg-forming portions, further comprising upper flexible fixing means comprising a further elastic tape having an inner face, an outer face and a lower edge, said further tape having a length substantially greater than the length of the upper edge of said upper portion and having a substantial portion of its lower edge secured to a substantial portion of theupper edge and provide for a further unattached end portion of said upper portion, antislipping means fastened to the inner face of said further tape, a number of separate transverse pockets spaced along and fastened on said outer face of said further tape, each pocket having at least one open end and a fastening member provided with fingers, one finger engages an outermost pocket on said further unattached end portion and a second finger adapted to engage a 7 selected one of said pockets on the secured opposite end of said further tape, thereby providing for adjustable tensioning of said further tape, bare rubber warp threads fastened on a substantial portion of the inner face of said upper portion ad- 

1. An undergarment comprising an upper portion having an inner face and an upper edge, two leg-forming portions, each having an inner face and a lower edge, lower flexible fixing means provided at each one of said lower edges, said fixing means comprising an elastic tape having an inner face, an outer face and an upper edge, said elastic tape having a length substantially greater than the length of said lower edge and having a substantial portion of its upper edge secured to a substantial portion of said lower edge, and provide for an unattached end portion, antislipping means fastened to the inner face of said tape, a number of separate transverse pockets spaced along and fastened on said outer face of said elastic tape, eAch pocket having at least one open end, a fastening member provided with fingers, one finger engages an outermost pocket on said unattached end portion and a second finger adapted to engage a selected one of said pockets on the secured opposite end of said elastic tape, thereby providing for adjustable tensioning of said elastic tape, bare rubber warp threads fastened on the inner face of said legforming portions adjacent said lower edges and arranged in a series of rows forming a substantially circular lower band located in the proximity said lower flexible fixing means whereby an increased suppleness is imparted to said leg-forming portions, further comprising upper flexible fixing means comprising a further elastic tape having an inner face, an outer face and a lower edge, said further tape having a length substantially greater than the length of the upper edge of said upper portion and having a substantial portion of its lower edge secured to a substantial portion of the upper edge and provide for a further unattached end portion of said upper portion, antislipping means fastened to the inner face of said further tape, a number of separate transverse pockets spaced along and fastened on said outer face of said further tape, each pocket having at least one open end and a fastening member provided with fingers, one finger engages an outermost pocket on said further unattached end portion and a second finger adapted to engage a selected one of said pockets on the secured opposite end of said further tape, thereby providing for adjustable tensioning of said further tape, bare rubber warp threads fastened on a substantial portion of the inner face of said upper portion adjacent said upper edge, and arranged in a series of rows forming a substantially circular upper band located in the proximity of said upper flexible fixing means whereby an increased suppleness is imparted to said upper portion. 